Diocese of Huron hires secular fund raising consultants

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A church employing secular fund raisers to keep itself financially viable is a harbinger of approaching doom. It is an admission that the transcendent principles on which the organisation rests no longer sufficiently motivate its members to part with their cash – probably because the leaders themselves no longer believe them.

In the case of the Diocese of Huron, the fund-raising effort is being disguised by the epithet “Renew”, a word that, when used by a church, usually means spiritual renewal not bank balance renewal.

From here (page 2):

Diocesan Council approved on February 28, 2013, at a Sub-Council meeting, a plan to position the Diocese and direct it forward as Renew will be launched this year at Synod.

The Diocese has been engaged over the last six months in a feasibility and quiet phase study, preparing the Diocese to launch Renew for our parishes. This time also allowed the Diocese to work toward funding costs for materials, planning and labour to provide for this launch of the program.

Diocesan Sub-Council approved the establishment of a new Renew Committee, which is now charged with directing and managing Renew in the Diocese. Part of their mandate is to now recommend consultants to actively work with parishes and the Diocese in raising funds in support of our established needs as a Church.

The Diocese has now engaged the contracted services of Ms. Amanda Gellman and Ms. Lynda McGregor of our Diocese as professional consultants to help lead Renew in Huron.

No Cross, no Christianity

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Giles Fraser is an Anglican clergyman who doesn’t much like evangelicals or Holy Trinity Brompton or any church that is large and successful or Alpha. He thinks that people who have “a personal relationship” with Jesus are creepy.

He reserves a particular dislike, though, for those who believe that Jesus’ death on the cross was a moment of triumph:

Which is why, for the worst sort of Cheesus-loving evangelicals, the cross of Good Friday is actually celebrated as a moment of triumph. This is theologically illiterate. Next week, in the run up to Easter, Christianity goes into existential crisis. It fails.

The disciples run away, unable to cope with the impossible demands placed upon them. The hero they gave up everything to follow is exposed to public ridicule and handed over to Roman execution. And the broken man on the cross begins to fear that God is no longer present.

I suspect what is really rubbing him up the wrong way is that evangelicals believe that, in his time of suffering on the cross, Jesus took upon himself the sins of the whole world – even those of Giles Fraser. He bore the wrath of God the Father for those sins so that we wouldn’t have to, thereby reconciling us to the Father once and for all. How can such a Redemption not be a triumph?

Theological liberals like Giles Fraser don’t like to think about the wrath of God, the innate sinfulness of man and the fact that a holy, just God must punish sin. Theirs is a sub-Christian faith, empty, meaningless, incoherent and worthy of derision.

Without the triumph of the Cross, there is no Christianity.

Justin Welby wants us to be reconciled reconcilers

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Putting this into tangible and local terms: my parish, St. Hilda’s, left the Diocese of Niagara in 2008 because we could no longer go along with the theological drift of the diocese. As a result, the diocese sued St. Hilda’s and ended up owning our building; the building is now up for sale.

Justin Welby believes that “reconciliation” would entail the individuals from both sides “finding a way to love the person with whom you are dealing, quite probably not agreeing with each other but disagreeing in love.”

Is this achievable? Yes, I think so. Will it make any difference? None whatsoever.

From a practical perspective, St. Hilda’s will not return to the Diocese of Niagara because the theological differences have, if anything, increased not decreased. The Diocese of Niagara and, more broadly, the Anglican Church of Canada, could recognise ANiC as a legitimate expression of Canadian Anglicanism. But then their consciences would nag them to give the buildings back, something which would be an act of God akin to his creating a rock too heavy for him to lift.

So while we may end up “disagreeing in love”, we will do so at a respectable distance, making Welby’s brand of “reconciliation” little more than a damp squib.

It’s time for the annual Earth Hour charade

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Earth Hour arrives every year towards the end of March. Celebrities like Yoko Ono, Stephen Fry and Cate Blanchett endorse it and trendy Anglican dioceses, having mislaid the Creeds, exhort their faithful to submit themselves unquestioningly to the replacement eco-dogma.

This is enough to put off any normal person but, for those still tempted to turn off their lights tomorrow and ignite a few high toxicity candles, there is this:

Hypothetically, switching off the lights for an hour would cut CO2 emissions from power plants around the world. But, even if everyone in the entire world cut all residential lighting, and this translated entirely into CO2 reduction, it would be the equivalent of China pausing its CO2 emissions for less than four minutes.

In fact, Earth Hour will cause emissions to increase: As the United Kingdom’s National Grid operators have found, a small decline in electricity consumption does not translate into less energy being pumped into the grid, and therefore will not reduce emissions. Moreover, during Earth Hour, any significant drop in electricity demand will entail a reduction in CO2 emissions during the hour, but it will be offset by the surge from firing up coal or gas stations to restore electricity supplies afterward.

And the cozy candles that many participants will light, which seem so natural and environmentally friendly, are still fossil fuels — and almost 100 times less efficient than incandescent light bulbs. Using one candle for each switched-off bulb cancels out even the theoretical CO2 reduction; using two candles means that you emit more CO2.

The deification of Gandhi

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Reverend Adela Torchia from the Diocese of New Westminster has written a new book about Gandhi.

Here is a synopsis:

This book deals with a Gandhian ethics of economics which helps us to reengage the religion and ecology debate, and to re-envision ecology’s more-with-less philosophy as an invitation to liberation rather than deprivation. Many world religions see creation and nature as sacred, and encourage a responsible rather than wasteful approach to the material world. While traditional asceticism has often been seen as life-negating, a Gandhian inspired neo-asceticism goes beyond kenosis towards a renewed appreciation of the beauty and joy of a life of less consumption, and greater compassion for all living beings. Spiritual masters have often taught the dangers of materialism, and such dangers have taken on new meaning in a 21st century ecological context. Last, but not least, this book recognizes the new paths towards better interreligious dialogue that have opened up as a result of a common concern for the ecological well-being of the earth.

For those who are not already asleep and thirst for more: the book can be yours for a mere $107.75, a price suggested by inspired neo-asceticism.

On the other hand, if, like me, you subscribe to the idea that Jeremiah 17:9 applies to everyone, even Gandhi, you might be more interested in this book about him; the author has  avoided the dangers of materialism by charging the reader only $13.99 for the book.

As British historian Andrew Roberts points out in his review of the book, Gandhi was “was a sexual weirdo, a political incompetent and a fanatical faddist” who was a “ceaseless self-promoter”. He left his wife because he fell for a male body builder, an infatuation which did not prevent him, when in his 70s, from going to bed naked with his 17 year old niece whom he treated with gleefully sadistic disdain.

Other than that, he was an exemplary ascetic.

Anglican Church of Canada: good news and bad news

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The good news is that the 2012 budget deficit is not as bad as expected.

The bad news is that the 2012 budget deficit is not as bad as expected: like a temporarily resuscitated zombie, the ACoC will stagger on for a few more years than is decent.

From here:

An early, unaudited draft of General Synod’s financial results for 2012 expects a lower than anticipated budget deficit for 2012, the financial management committee (FMC) has said in its written report submitted to the Council of General Synod (CoGS).

Although final results are not yet certain pending a completed audit, FMC said, “It is reasonable to expect that the deficit will be in the neighbourhood of $100,000.” A deficit of $287,680 had been forecast for that year.

However, “although 2012 will likely end up more favourably than anticipated four months ago, the outlook for 2013 has not changed,” said the report submitted by committee chair, Rob Dickson. The fall meeting of CoGS had approved a “transitional budget” with a deficit of $513,000.

Rob Bell lends his support to gay marriage

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Rob Bell, clearly dissatisfied with the degree, depth and feeling of the furore he created amongst his fellow evangelicals with his book Love Wins, has decided to have another go by voicing his support for gay marriage:

In response to a question regarding same-sex marriage, Bell said, “I am for marriage. I am for fidelity. I am for love, whether it’s a man and woman, a woman and a woman, a man and a man. I think the ship has sailed and I think the church needs — I think this is the world we are living in and we need to affirm people wherever they are.”

By Rob Bell’s measure, if Christians are to flow gracefully in the currents provided by the “world we are living in”, the early church would have avoided fanatically following Jesus to the exclusion of observing the required pieties towards Roman gods. They would have lived happy, long, affirming lives with no hint of the unpleasantness that usually accompanies martyrdom, persecution and torture.

Then, there would be no Christianity, no Western Civilisation and – no Rob Bell eager to affirm people wherever they are.

The Anglican Church of Canada is “restructuring”

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Read all about it here.

In what I can only assume was an unguarded moment, Archbishop Colin Johnson let slip the real reason for the reorganisation: not to spread the Gospel more effectively or even to dabble more fervently in a spot of “ecojustice”, but to survive. After all, no church, no clergy stipend.

Archbishop Colin Johnson, diocesan bishop of the diocese of Toronto and metropolitan of the ecclesiastical province of Ontario, said the work of restructuring was “a lot like trying to lose weight.” Even losing a few pounds by giving up on some sweets, cutting down on meat and potatoes, and exercising more means one “will last longer,” said Johnson, who is also a member of the structures working group.

Anglican Church of Canada puts off Covenant decision – again

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At its 2010 General Synod, the ACoC decided to keep talking about the Anglican Covenant for another three years and make a decision about whether to accept it or not at its 2013 Synod. Now the Council of General Synod had decided to not decide for another three years: the plan is to continue talking until 2016.

For all practical purposes, the Covenant expired when the Church of England rejected it. Perhaps the ACoC didn’t notice or, more likely, in their never ceasing quest to be relevant, ACoC leaders want to continue prodding the corpse to make quite sure it is dead before moving on to less pressing matters such as the theological, financial, numerical and ethical collapse of their own institution.

From here:

When it meets this July, the Anglican Church of Canada’s General Synod will not be asked to either accept or reject the proposed Anglican Covenant.

Instead, the governing body will consider a motion that continues the conversation and delays  a final decision on the Covenant until the next General Synod in 2016.

[The Covenant is a set of principles recommended by the 2004 Windsor Report as a way of healing relationships severely damaged by divisions over human sexuality among member provinces of the Anglican Communion.]

At its spring meeting, Council of General Synod (CoGS) agreed to recommend that General Synod ask the Anglican Communion Working Group (ACWG) to “monitor continued developments” around the proposed Covenant. It requests that the ACWG render a report to the spring 2016 meeting of CoGS, and directs CoGS  “to bring a recommendation regarding the adoption of the Covenant” to the next General Synod in 2016.

 

You can't work here, you'll upset the atheists

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From here:

A graphic designer is suing a hotel after claiming he was turned down for a job there because he is a Christian.

Jamie Haxby said he felt ‘victimised and persecuted’ after allegedly being told he could not design adverts for the Essex venue due to his faith.

Mr Haxby, a regular worshipper at his local church, says manager Celie Parker apologised for inviting him to the interview after discovering he was a committed Christian.

He claims he was then told he would not be considered for the role as his beliefs could upset atheists working there.

With rich new veins of material like this, it’s a shame Fawlty Towers is no more.

Unless reduced to penury – a hitherto unlikely scenario, but you never know – I would not want to run a hotel. But if I did, upsetting atheists would be a condition of employment.